Health & Wellness

Whether Monday night is Mexican Monday or you’re just craving a burrito, here are five healthier Mexican food choices to make the next time you feel like taking your taste buds to Mexico!

Grilled foods like beef, chicken, pork, or seafood are great options for burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, and more. Grilling foods are great because it does not add excessive amounts of fat or salt.

Choose black beans instead of refried beans for obvious reasons. Black beans are typically cooked in a broth, while refried beans are… fried in oil. And black beans are low in fat and high in protein.

Make a Mexican pizza using healthier ingredients such as corn tortillas, black beans, and lighter cheeses. Seasonings such as ground cumin, cayenne pepper, and paprika add great flavor.

Make black bean soup instead of chicken tortilla soup. Black beans are rich in soluble fiber, can help lower cholesterol, and can help with blood sugar levels. Just make sure and skip on toppings that add calories and fat such as sour cream.

Reduce carbs by making a burrito bowl instead of a flour tortilla burrito. You can get creative with your burrito bowl, too. Try ingredients like brown rice, black beans, a yogurt topping of plain yogurt, cilantro, lime zest, and salt. And bowl themes can range from salmon to breakfast and tropical shrimp to peachy pork.

In Season

Summer officially extends well into the month of September, however, as soon as September rolls around, we begin the transition from summer to fall. The long, warm evenings spent grilling on the patio are numbered, but there is still plenty of time to enjoy many favorite summer foods - and to look forward to fall favorites as well.